


i want you (bless my soul)

by theriveroflight



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, Luka Couffaine Knows, M/M, Minor Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi, New Year's Eve, Pansexual Adrien Agreste, Past Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, post-reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:09:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29767044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriveroflight/pseuds/theriveroflight
Summary: Adrien doesn't realize what he wants at first, but he quickly learns.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Chloé Bourgeois, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine
Comments: 5
Kudos: 48
Collections: January 2021 - Exchange





	i want you (bless my soul)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Enonimouse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enonimouse/gifts).



> A pinch-hit for the MF January/February Exchange! Hope you enjoy :)
> 
> Prompt: Looking for a Lukadrien fic with some Marigami as well. Essentially, Marinette and Kagami are dating. Luka and Adrien see this and decide to be more willing to experiment with their sexual orientation. Then Luka and Adrien begin to have feelings for each other. Preferably set around New Years. Nothing but fluff!
> 
> There's a little bit of hurt/comfort but definitely more on the comfort and fluff and happiness. Unlike my other Lukadrien new years oneshot.
> 
> Thanks to Silv for beta reading! Title from "I Think He Knows" by Taylor Swift.

Well. It isn’t as though it were  _ never  _ a possibility. They were both playing a few double roles tonight; Ladybug had informed him that she would be in and out, because she was also accompanying someone to the gala as a date.

It wasn’t  _ surprising,  _ really. After the reveal, it was just easy to settle into a comfortable friendship, the easy banter crossing over into their civilian lives and being  _ able  _ to bond with each other without fear. Friendship was all they wanted, and he knew Marinette had her eyes on someone else. He had always assumed that was Luka (and why did that hurt him, if he and Marinette were just friends?).

But as he watches Marinette dance with Kagami as Chat Noir, it makes…sense. They both look radiant in the light of the gala, Marinette in a beautiful dress she designed. He can always appreciate style, and both of them look excellent.

“I wouldn’t have pegged you for a wallflower, you know.”

He looks away from the dancefloor to see Luka, and smiles. “You know, sometimes you just…feel like watching.”

“Watching, huh?” Luka raises an eyebrow. “And what do you see?”

“I’m glad that Kagami is happy,” he comments. “I thought…she hasn’t taken rejection well in the past, and the fact that she couldn’t be Ryuuko again after everything might have hurt her. Even though she probably understands. I don’t know. But it’s good to know that she’s found happiness.”

“You know, happiness doesn’t always have to be tied to romance. Sometimes a good friend is enough.”

“Yeah.” Adrien smiles. “My friends make me happy a lot. I don’t need a b-girlfriend to be happy.”

What was that slip?

“You know, it’s okay to be gay,” Luka says.

“I’m not…strictly gay,” he answers. “I really did love Ladybug. I don’t anymore, but the feelings were genuine. But…I don’t know, I think I could fall in love with anyone that showed enough affection for me.”

“You don’t have to fall for the first pretty face that’s nice to you,” Luka murmurs. “That can hurt you.”

“What do you mean?” Adrien tilts his head.

“Sometimes people like that are just out to hurt you, in the end. Be glad that your experience with someone like that was Ladybug, and not someone more manipulative.”

“And you have…personal experience?” His heart hurts for Luka; Adrien doesn’t want to think about Luka having faced manipulation from a past relationship.

“Unfortunately,” Luka comments. “I wish I could say that I didn’t.”

He catches a snatch of conversation from nearby, a cat ear swiveling to listen. “Where’s Adrikins?”

Ah, Chloe’s requesting his presence. In his other form.

“I,” Adrien says, firing off a salute, “will return. Soon.”

“Was that…was that too deep? Sorry,” Luka says.

“Not your fault.” Adrien shakes his head. “Other reasons.”

Luka nods, but narrows his eyes.

Adrien hopes Luka won’t be too suspicious of his reappearance.

* * *

“Hey, Chloe,” he says, walking up to her. Adrien takes a moment to brace himself.

“Adrien!” she says, enthusiastically turning away from the adult she was making small talk with.

“Did your mother make your dress?” Adrien asks. “It looks excellent.”

She looks down at the yellow-ruffled dress, cut in a way that looks flattering on Chloe. “She didn’t  _ make  _ it, but she did design it, so the same difference.”

He nods. “Yeah. It looks nice, actually. You look older.”

“Thanks. You look…alright too.” That’s a compliment from her, so…

“What’s he doing here?” Chloe’s gaze trails towards Luka. “He seems familiar.”

Adrien doesn’t say that it’s probably from when she was akumatized, because nobody knows about Miracle Queen; there was nothing in the paralysis that was filmed. He isn’t supposed to know about that at all. But, well, he  _ is  _ Chat Noir. And nobody besides Marinette is supposed to know that.

“I don’t know,” he says. “Maybe he’s with the musicians. Maybe he was supposed to work here. I don’t know, I haven’t spoken to him. But, just so you’re aware, his name is Luka Couffaine, and he’s…”

“Oh! Now I get it. He’s the guitarist of that band whose music got stolen.” She wrinkles her nose and both of them scan the crowd for XY.

“Right,” Adrien says, relieved that she doesn’t remember what happened.

The clock tolls, once, twice, thrice — the crowd falls mostly silent until it finishes, eleven rings to remind them of the coming year.

“Another hour,” she says. “Are you going to find anyone?”

“I don’t know,” he answers. “I don’t really have anyone.”

“I’m not really looking, anymore. I used to think that what I wanted was you. But it’s not. Not sure what I want anymore.”

He feels bad for her; after all, basing your identity around one person is tough. He based himself around being Gabriel Agreste’s son, and then Ladybug’s partner, and now he’s just Adrien Agreste — but with the support of his friends he’s managed to get past that.

Chloe doesn’t have that support. She and Sabrina have been drifting apart, and Chloe doesn’t have a lot of people.

Adrien can be there, if Chloe wants him to be.

“It was…the same for me, for a while.” He leans against the table. “I wanted someone else for a while, so much that it consumed me. And then we were friends, and a romantic relationship with her just didn’t appeal to me as much.”

“Oh,” she responds. “I didn’t…well, it’s weird to talk about, because you were that person. I guess if I want real help, I should talk to someone else about this.” She lets out something half exhale, half self-deprecating laugh.

“Well, even if you don’t want to talk to  _ me  _ about it, I’ll be here to support you as a friend. Sometimes a real friend is what you need.”

“You grew up so much better,” she says.

He nudges her shoulder. “We reacted to similar issues in different ways. That’s okay, because we’re different people.”

“Still. How do you do it?” she asks.

“Don’t cry, you’re going to ruin your makeup.” It’s a bit of a dig, admittedly, but it’s one that he knows she’ll respond to.

She blinks. “I wasn’t going to cry.”

“Right,” he drawls. “And XY and I are secretly brothers.”

She wrinkles her nose. “I certainly hope not.”

“That’s the point,” he answers, winking. “Care for a dance?”

“Sure.”

They go out onto the dance floor, abandoning all they’ve learned of dance form to just have  _ fun  _ with it, moving to the beat together and making slight fools of themselves. After all, what was the point of having fun if there wasn’t a bit of foolishness?

“Mind if I have the next dance?” Ladybug taps Chloe’s shoulder.

“Hey, Ladybug,” Adrien says.

“I don’t mind,” Chloe answers. “I’m parched, I should fetch something to drink.”

Adrien nods, taking her hand.

“You look…good,” he says.

“Yeah, I had to fight Tikki to get her to let me wear this.” Marinette smiles. “But it was worth it, yes?”

They both look over at Kagami. “I saw you with her earlier. I didn’t know she was your date.”

“Be a little quieter, will you?” she says. “But…yeah, I mean, that’s why I’m here as both selves. Otherwise I as Ladybug would make an excuse for your lack of presence and you could just be here as you are now.”

“And make some excellent fanfiction fodder?” he jokes. 

“Oh, you know it,” she answers, and they both laugh.

“I’m glad you’re here with her. I was worried she would be lonely ever since we…”

“I know,” Marinette whispers. “But I like her a lot.” He can see the blush peaking on her face, and he smiles at that. “And, well. You know what it’s like.”

He shrugs. “Kind of.”

They both cast a glance at the clock. It’s five minutes to midnight.

“You should go find her again.”

“Yeah,” she answers. “It was nice to dance with you.”

“It was nice to chat,” Adrien answers.

He slips off to the bathroom, too, transforming so that in her absence Chat Noir will have returned.

* * *

He isn’t looking very carefully, so that explains why he almost trips over Luka, who’s sitting on the ground curled up in a ball.

Adrien offers Luka a hand. “I forgot to ask,” he says casually. “Why are you here?”

Luka takes Adrien’s hand, and he pulls Luka up. “I’m here because I got invited.”

“By who?” He almost raises an eyebrow, and then realizes that it’s probably invisible under the mask.

“XY, surprisingly. He sent me an invitation. I think it’s supposed to be some kind of apology?” Luka shrugs. “Whatever it’s supposed to be, it doesn’t matter. As soon as I heard you would be here, I wanted to be too.”

Adrien can feel his cheeks warming. And Luka’s saying this to  _ Chat Noir,  _ which, well…is a little suspicious.

“Really?” he asks.

“I didn’t know it at first, but Kitty Section always comes out to support our own.” Luka winks, and Adrien is taken aback.

“When…”

“I…well, I suspected when I first became Viperion, but what cemented it is the way that you and Marinette have switched between who’s transformed and who isn’t. When you’re Adrien, Ladybug is on the floor, and vice versa. I overheard your conversation with her while you were dancing.”

“Oh.”

A glass tings three times. “Only a minute until the new year starts!”

“Well, you heard what they said.” Luka smiles. “Do you have anyone special?”

“Romance isn’t everything,” he answers. “You told me that earlier.”

Luka shrugs. “I’ve…always wanted to kiss someone at midnight. I think it’s kind of sweet, actually.”

“Well then,” Adrien whispers, tiptoeing so he’s speaking directly into Luka’s ear. “I’ll do a little switch, and then come back to you.”

Adrien doesn’t know how all of a sudden it was Luka, but…well, he certainly doesn’t  _ mind  _ kissing Luka. Luka is attractive.

Adrien’s not quite in love yet, but he’s almost there. He thinks he could, if he tries, and…well, okay, that’s what he said when he and Kagami started dating. But this time he means it. He looks back on the rest of the night, and Luka does fall under the kind of criteria.

“Plagg, claws in.”

“Absolute. Human. Disaster,” Plagg says as the suit peels off. “Seriously, kitten.”

Adrien rolls his eyes. “It’s not that bad.”

“I do  _ not  _ understand human romance.”

“What about Tikki?” Adrien was always under the impression that…

“That’s beyond any words that you have for it,” Plagg answers casually as Adrien tosses him a wedge of camembert. “My true love is camembert.”

“Get in, I’m going back out,” Adrien says, and the countdown is starting.

“Ten!” he hears the crowd say. They’re all gathered near the center of the room. Adrien scans, looking for Luka.

“Nine!” He spots Kagami and Marinette, standing facing each other, probably preparing to do the same thing he and Luka are about to.

There are cameras here. It would be…safer, at the very least, to be Chat Noir. But he doesn’t  _ need  _ to wear a mask to kiss Luka. In fact, he would much rather not wear a mask while kissing Luka. He wants to be himself (and yes, he is Chat Noir and vice versa, but it wouldn’t be the same) when he kisses Luka for the first time.

“Eight!”

He spots Luka, leaning on the wall away from the crowd.

“Seven!”

Adrien skirts around the crowd, heading towards where Luka’s standing. But when he arrives, he finds that Luka’s moved.

Playing hard to get, huh?

“Six!”

Adrien cuts through the crowd this time, shouldering his way past and slipping through with a few “excuse me”s and other platitudes.

“Five!”

“You ran away,” Adrien says. “Why?”

“I wanted you to find me,” Luka says. “Didn’t want to make it too easy.”

“Four!”

“Aren’t we supposed to be kissing in a few seconds?” Adrien asks.

“That is the intent,” Luka answers.

“Three!”

Adrien rises to his tiptoes. He knows he still has a little bit of physical growth left, but he’ll be shorter than both his mother and father. Best he can hope for is a couple inches taller than Luka.

“Two!”

Luka smiles at him, and it feels wholeheartedly real.

“Are you ready for this?” he asks.

“One!”

“I am,” Adrien answers, and their faces get imperceptibly close without touching when Adrien closes his eyes, prepared for their lips to meet.

“Happy New Year!”

They consume each other, starting fast and then easing up a bit. Adrien leans against Luka, placing his hands on Luka’s shoulders to make it easier to tiptoe. Better access, different angles. It’s open-mouthed and hot and different from any other kiss he remembers.

(Not that he’s had many; he’s been kissed, but he’s forgotten most of those, the only memory of it being pictures.)

“Happy New Year,” Adrien whispers.

“Happy New Year,” Luka answers, and Adrien sinks to his usual height, but they’re still standing only a few centimeters apart, so close yet not touching.

Marinette and Kagami seem to be consuming everyone’s attention when they turn to face the crowd, but overall most people are focusing on themselves.

He hears a whisper from the crowd and smiles. After all, he’s the one with a…well, at least  _ prospective  _ boyfriend. It feels good, and it’s far more than Adrien expected from the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Join us on the [Miraculous Fanworks Discord server](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) if you're interested in meeting a growing community of creators and Miraculous Ladybug fans and participating in events like this!
> 
> And follow my writing Tumblr @beunforgotten!


End file.
